Secret Message Discovered in Statue of Jesus

December 5, 2017—An 18th-century wooden carving of Jesus holds a message from the past. Conservators with Madrid-based Da Vinci Restauro were examining a crucifix from a church about 80 miles north of the Spanish capital. The statue turned out to be hollow with a removable panel. Located on the figure’s backside, the opening was hidden by the cross. Inside lay a letter describing life in Spain in 1777, written by a chaplain, Joaquín Mínguez. The priest names the reigning monarch, Carlos III, catalogues crops and products such as wine. He tells of the Inquisition and of happier customs, with music and games. Mínguez seems to have intentionally placed the letter to serve as a time capsule. The document itself will go to an archive. But to honor Mínguez's wishes, a copy will stay within the statue.

Secret Message Discovered in Statue of Jesus

December 5, 2017—An 18th-century wooden carving of Jesus holds a message from the past. Conservators with Madrid-based Da Vinci Restauro were examining a crucifix from a church about 80 miles north of the Spanish capital. The statue turned out to be hollow with a removable panel. Located on the figure’s backside, the opening was hidden by the cross. Inside lay a letter describing life in Spain in 1777, written by a chaplain, Joaquín Mínguez. The priest names the reigning monarch, Carlos III, catalogues crops and products such as wine. He tells of the Inquisition and of happier customs, with music and games. Mínguez seems to have intentionally placed the letter to serve as a time capsule. The document itself will go to an archive. But to honor Mínguez's wishes, a copy will stay within the statue.